Chicago Blackhawkshttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/taxonomy/term/66/all
enLong And Winding Road Led Darling Back Homehttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2016-02/long-and-winding-road-led-darling-back-home
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<a href="/author/scott-powers">Scott Powers</a> </div>
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<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://usahockeymagazine.org/sites/default/files/images/FL_Darling1.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="525" height="431" /></span></p>
<p>Home for Scott Darling was wherever he lugged his three duffel bags and the 47-inch television he had purchased on clearance at Best Buy.</p>
<p>Darling had simplified his life to those possessions out of necessity. Owning anything more would have been excessive as he had no idea where his goaltending career would take him from one day to the next. That way he could pack and depart quickly.</p>
<p>Darling&rsquo;s professional stops included eight teams in four different leagues between 2010-14. He played everywhere from the Louisiana IceGators of the SPHL to the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. If you were going to send Darling a letter, it was best to double check his mailing address.</p>
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<h3>Scott Darling #33</h3>
<p><strong>Height:</strong> 6-foot-6<br /><strong>Weight:</strong> 232 pounds<br /><strong>Catches:</strong> Left<br /><strong>Born:</strong> Dec, 22, 1988<br /><strong>Hometown:</strong> Lemont, Ill.<br /><strong>Drafted:</strong> 6th round (153rd overall) by Phoenix Coyotes<br /><strong>College:</strong> University of Maine<br /><strong>USA Hockey History: </strong>Played youth hockey for the Chicago Young Americans</p>
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<p>Darling still has those duffel bags and the TV, but they now rest in a house he owns in Chicago. He established stability in his adult life for the first time by earning a roster spot with the Chicago Blackhawks and signing a multi-year contract.</p>
<p>&ldquo;That was the most fun part when I bought my house,&rdquo; said Darling, who is from Lemont, Ill. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t have anything to put in it. &hellip; Luckily my girlfriend had enough for both of us. That filled up the house pretty good.</p>
<p>&ldquo;This is the first time I&rsquo;ve had a bank account and I&rsquo;m not worried about car payments or things like that. It&rsquo;s nice to just worry about hockey. It makes it a little bit easier.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Life became complicated for Darling at college. He was coming along fine after playing Junior hockey in the NAHL in Iowa, EJHL in Connecticut and USHL in Indiana. Alcohol entered his life in college and overtook him. It led to him being kicked off the University of Maine&rsquo;s team as a sophomore.</p>
<p>He awoke one day while playing in Louisiana a season later realizing he had to make changes or else.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t play well,&rdquo; Darling said. &ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t living well. I just didn&rsquo;t have my life in order.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Darling took control of his life by eliminating alcohol and focusing on hockey. In the summer of 2011, he turned to his longtime goalie coach Brian Daccord, who helped Darling get back on the right track.</p>
<p>Eventually, Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman saw potential in Darling and offered him a one-year contract.</p>
<p>Darling earned his first NHL call-up in October 2014. Bowman committed to him as the team&rsquo;s No. 2 goalie in February and signed him to a two-year extension. Darling later helped the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup with three victories against the Nashville Predators in the first round.</p>
<p>Daccord is grateful Darling, who is now 27, made the necessary changes when he did.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The nice thing was he was young,&rdquo; Daccord said. &ldquo;It didn&rsquo;t happen too late in his life. He figured things out just in time. If he figured things out two years later, he might have had problems.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Darling remains sober to this day, but it&rsquo;s not something he has to battle to do. He said he never struggled with it throughout the team&rsquo;s numerous Stanley Cup celebrations.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I honestly don&rsquo;t think about it that much anymore,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just being responsible, making the right choices. It&rsquo;s kind of my motto now&mdash;do the right things and things will be all right.&rdquo;</p>
<p>As trying as it was to get to the NHL, Darling doesn&rsquo;t regret the path he took to get there. Experiences like living in a log cabin while broke in West Virginia are what made him who he is today.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I look back on it all fondly, especially now that everything is good, the ship has been righted,&rdquo; Darling said.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m lucky enough to be playing for the Chicago Blackhawks. I don&rsquo;t look at any of it negatively. &hellip; It&rsquo;s all part of the journey. Those kind of experiences a lot of people don&rsquo;t get to have.&rdquo;</p>
<h5>Scott Powers is a freelance writer based in Chicago.</h5>
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<h3>Youth Star</h3>
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<p><span class="inline inline-left"><img src="http://usahockeymagazine.org/sites/default/files/images/FL_YS_Mug.img_assist_custom-106x108.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-img_assist_custom-106x108 " width="106" height="108" /></span> <strong>Christian Asimakopoulos<br /></strong>Age 10<br />Doylestown, Pa.</p>
<p>Moving is hard for any youngster, but Christian was fortunate to have hockey to make his transition easier when his father&rsquo;s work forced the family to relocate from Toronto to eastern Pennsylvania. As his mother, Tina, said, &ldquo;Hockey brings everyone together.</p>
<p>His parents are proud to see how well Christian has handled the move and made great friends in the Central Bucks School District and on the ice as a defenseman with the Philadelphia Revolution Squirt team.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The best part is watching him and his teammates as they chat on the ice, plan and set up a play and fist pump one another when something goes their way,&rdquo; mom said.</p>
<p>In addition to playing hockey, Christian loves snowboarding, reading and playing the trumpet.<strong><br /></strong></p>
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<a href="/issue/2016-02">2016-02</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2016-02/long-and-winding-road-led-darling-back-home#commentsChicago BlackhawksScott DarlingYouth StarFirst LinersMon, 25 Jan 2016 22:25:59 +0000admin12580 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comA Few Minutes With Patrick Kanehttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/few-minutes-patrick-kane
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By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/author/mark-j-burns">Mark J. Burns</a> </div>
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<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/a-few-minutes-q-and-a.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="525" height="136" /></span><em><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Editor&rsquo;s Note:</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> Throughout the 2014-15 NHL season, </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">USA Hockey Magazine</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> will periodically highlight American-born players through various Q&amp;A segments. In our most recent discussion we talk Chicago Blackhawks superstar forward Patrick Kane.</span></em></p>
<p><span class="inline inline-left"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Kane1_0.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-preview " width="525" height="349" /></span></p>
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<p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"></span><span style="line-height: 1.5em; text-align: center;">Since bursting onto the NHL scene Patrick Kane has lived up to the hype of being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. He earned the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league&rsquo;s rookie of the year in 2008 and scored the overtime winner in 2010 to lift the Blackhawks to the organization&rsquo;s first Stanley Cup in 49 years. In 2013 he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP as he helped bring the Cup back to Chicago for the second time in three years. This season Kane was leading the league in scoring before suffering a broken left clavicle in a game against Florida on Feb. 24. The Blackhawks are hoping the talented 26-year-old can return in time for another run at the Cup.</span></p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>Besides hockey, what other sports (if any) did you participate in when you were in grade school/middle school?</strong></p>
<p class="p1">I played basketball, lacrosse, soccer, baseball for a little bit, but my big sport beside hockey was probably basketball.</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>As a 14-year-old, you played for Honeybaked, a AAA program based in Southeastern Michigan. You moved in with former NHL player, Pat Verbeek, for a couple seasons. What was that experience like living with an NHLer? Are there any hockey/life lessons Pat passed along to you during that time period?</strong></p>
<p class="p1">That was awesome. It was one of the main reasons I went to Detroit, knowing I was going to live with a former NHL player who scored 500 goals. He is small in stature like I was at that time, so I felt I could learn a lot from him. One thing I learned from him is that he was fearless. He was one of those guys who really wanted to make sure I was doing my best every shift.</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>What is your most vivid memory as a youngster playing hockey? Maybe a memorable goal? A tournament you won?</strong></p>
<p class="p1">I made some good friends over the years playing. One of my best friends still to this day is a goalie I played with growing up since I was 7 years old, his name is Brett Bennett. I just remember if I look back on my childhood when we played, we had a lot of good tournaments together. It seemed like one of us always won the MVP. If we won a championship, one of us would lead us to that championship. It was always fun playing with him. It turned into a great friendship and he&rsquo;s still one of my best friends today.</p>
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<h2 style="line-height: 17.0999984741211px; font-size: 11px;">ICE CHIPS<br /></h2>
<h5 style="line-height: 17.0999984741211px; font-size: 11px;"><span class="inline inline-left"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/467791434.img_assist_custom-280x359.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-img_assist_custom-280x359 " width="280" height="359" /></span><br /></h5>
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<address><span style="font-style: normal;"><strong style="font-style: normal;">Favorite Music:</strong><span style="font-style: normal;">&nbsp;Hip-hop&nbsp;</span><br /><strong style="font-style: normal;">Favorite Movie:&nbsp;</strong>Batman Returns<br /><strong style="font-style: normal;">Favorite TV Show:</strong><span style="font-style: normal;">&nbsp;</span>Sopranos</span></address>
<address><strong style="font-style: normal;">Favorite Snack:</strong><span style="font-style: normal;">&nbsp;Oatmeal</span><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /><strong>Favorite Place To Visit:</strong>&nbsp;Riviera Maya, Mexico<br /><strong>Offseason Hobby:</strong>&nbsp;Golf<br /><strong>If I Wasn't Playing Hockey:&nbsp;</strong>I'd be a car dealer</span></address>
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<p class="p1"><strong>You played for the U.S. National Team Development Program for two seasons (2004-06). How do you think your game developed in those two years before you headed to play Junior hockey?</strong></p>
<p class="p1">It was huge. I&rsquo;m so happy I got the opportunity to go there. The program really focuses on improving your body, you get a lot of practice time and you really learn how to play the game and how to treat yourself, too. I was a really skinny kid going in at 15 years old. To stay there for two years and work out four or five days a week and practice a lot and play a lot of games, it was great for me.</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>Which one or two players did you look up to in the NHL when you were a young kid? Anyone in particular you tried to model your game after?&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p class="p1">Growing up in Buffalo, I was definitely a big Pat Lafontaine fan. Joe Sakic was definitely one of my favorite players. I liked watching the Avalanche, so he and Peter Forsberg were some of the players I really watched. I watched Forsberg a little bit more because his style was similar to mine, maybe with a little more physical attitude. He was so skilled and made so many great plays and passes that I really loved watching him.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>How much have small area games been incorporated into your practices at both the Junior and professional level? What types of skills have you taken away from those situations?&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p class="p1">It&rsquo;s very important to learn how to play in tight areas. We still do drills to this day that are tight area games where it&rsquo;s 2-on-2, 3-on-3 down low, maybe 1-on-1 in the corners. They teach you how to battle and how to maneuver in tight space.</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>You played in the 2010 Olympics (Vancouver) and 2014 Olympics (Sochi, Russia) for the U.S. Men&rsquo;s Olympic Team. How would you describe those experiences and the opportunity to wear the red, white and blue? How did those Olympic Games differ for you as a player?</strong></p>
<p class="p1">It&rsquo;s amazing. I wish we could do it every year. It&rsquo;s unbelievable to play in the Olympics. I&rsquo;m really looking forward to a chance to play in the next one. Any time you&rsquo;re representing your country at the Olympics, you know how big it is. You&rsquo;ve got 300 million people at your back, rooting and cheering for you. It&rsquo;s not just Chicago vs. Detroit, or Chicago vs. St. Louis, where it&rsquo;s just two cities. Instead, all of the cities in the United States are rooting for you, so it&rsquo;s amazing.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p2">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>What advice can you give a young 10-year-old kid playing youth hockey who aspires to play junior, college or even professional hockey?&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p class="p1">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">Stay in the moment. Don&rsquo;t worry about what&rsquo;s going to happen in the future. You&rsquo;ve got a lot of time for that, so just have fun, work hard and see where it goes.</p>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/few-minutes-patrick-kane#comments2010 U.S. Olympic Team2014 US Olympic TeamChicago BlackhawksNational Team Development ProgramNHLPatrick KaneOnline Bonus ContentMon, 13 Apr 2015 15:31:18 +0000admin11399 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comThe MoneyPuck Erahttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2014-12/moneypuck-era
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Analytics May Be The Most Talked About Aspect Of The Game That Nobody Wants To Talk About </div>
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<a href="/author/mark-j-burns">Mark J. Burns</a> </div>
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<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/07_moneypuck." alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="525" height="385" /></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">It may be the worst kept secret in hockey: National Hockey League teams are using advanced statistics and technology to improve their players&rsquo; performance, both on and off the ice.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">The Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks, who were some of the first users of advanced statistics, have won four of the past five Stanley Cups.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">It&rsquo;s no surprise then that the other 28 teams are connecting the dots and jumping on board as well. Yet, even with more teams turning to analytics, franchises are still reluctant to speak publicly about the subject, with the Kings, Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres declining to comment for this story about their icy trade secrets.</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">In NHL circles, the world &ldquo;analytics&rdquo; is the biggest buzzword and hot button topic since the advent of the modern stats movement in 1997. At that time, the league stationed stats trackers in each city in order to record blocked shots, hits, shot attempts and a few other telling stats.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">With a number of NHL teams devoting their recruiting efforts to building a robust analytical team this past summer &mdash; including the Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers and Florida Panthers &mdash; one thing is certain: the modern &ldquo;Moneypuck Era&rdquo; has arrived.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">&ldquo;Analytics is where we&rsquo;re going. I&rsquo;m very interested. I think it&rsquo;s very intriguing,&rdquo; Ron Hextall, the Flyers&rsquo; former goalie turned general manager, told </span><span class="s2"><strong>Philly.com.</strong></span><span class="s1"> &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t overvalue it, but in my mind, it&rsquo;s going to become more and more valuable. I wouldn&rsquo;t say it&rsquo;s a huge part, but it&rsquo;s going to get bigger and bigger.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">NHL coaches and front office personnel are still grappling with what to do with this potential treasure trove of new information, which examines puck possession, zone starts and other complex data. Coaching staffs and management teams are applying advanced stats for in-game adjustments, trade deadline acquisitions and on draft day, with the end goal of assembling a future Stanley Cup-winning franchise.</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really exploded the last nine to 12 months,&rdquo; says Michael Schuckers, an associate professor of statistics at St. Lawrence University.</span></p>
<p class="p2"><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span class="inline inline-left"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/08_moneypuck.img_assist_custom-275x183." alt="Los Angeles Kings Goaltending Coach Bill Ranford and the rest of the coaching staff have used analytics to help develop a winning formula to help the Kings win two of the last three Stanley Cups." title="Los Angeles Kings Goaltending Coach Bill Ranford and the rest of the coaching staff have used analytics to help develop a winning formula to help the Kings win two of the last three Stanley Cups." class="image image-img_assist_custom-275x183 " width="275" height="183" /><span class="caption" style="width: 273px;">Los Angeles Kings Goaltending Coach Bill Ranford and the rest of the coaching staff have used analytics to help develop a winning formula to help the Kings win two of the last three Stanley Cups.</span></span></strong></p>
<p><span class="s1"><strong></strong>According to Schuckers, having a complete picture with different pieces of information provides teams a potential competitive advantage versus those who maybe aren&rsquo;t receptive to the modern stats movement.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">Some self-proclaimed &ldquo;old school&rdquo; coaches, like the Sioux Falls Stampede&rsquo;s Cary Eades of the Tier I United States Hockey League, are taking a more patient approach to how to incorporate analytics into their tried-and-true ways of evaluating talent.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s an area of the game, as far as measurable and statistical analysis of a hockey player, that has a ways to go yet to be fully functional in my mind,&rdquo; Eades says. &ldquo;&hellip;There&rsquo;s just so many individual personal traits that a coach likes in a player and/or you&rsquo;re looking for in a player to fill a certain role.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">Despite not having a system in place to incorporate advanced statistics into their repertoire at the present time, Eades expects the Stampede to continue the conversation internally, too.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">Danton Cole, head coach of the U.S. Under-17 Team, says that because the National Team Development Program only has its players for just two years, it&rsquo;s harder to implement any widespread practices. Still, he thinks there is certainly a heightened interest at the NHL level rather than in the Junior ranks.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">&ldquo;Coaching is both an art and a science,&rdquo; says Cole, who added that some nights a coach might rely on his gut instincts, team chemistry or going with a hot player versus relying on stats alone.</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">While analytics are better known for their use by coaching staffs, general managers and stats gurus, there&rsquo;s another school of thought that thinks that analytics can help in the prevention of injuries.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">One company that is leading the charge is Catapult Sports, who uses GPS tracking devices to monitor things such as a player&rsquo;s on-ice fatigue level, heart rate and stride length.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">Ben Peterson, sports performance manager with Catapult, compares its technology to a dashboard on a car that tracks a player&rsquo;s performance so that he is operating at optimum levels and not over-exerting himself on the ice.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">&ldquo;If you just go, go, go and you&rsquo;re not mindful of changing the oil or if you&rsquo;re riding the car really rough, it&rsquo;s more likely to break down on you,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;You see that a lot in hockey players. It&rsquo;s not having a good pulse and understanding the loads players are accumulating while they are playing hockey.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">As Peterson explains, the data isn&rsquo;t meant to tell a coach he&rsquo;s wrong or his gut is giving him poor information. It&rsquo;s meant as an &ldquo;extra tool in his toolbox&rdquo; as he continues his job as a coach.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&ldquo;Always listen to your gut but make sure your gut is agreeing with the information,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;If the data is telling you something else, now you can make a better-informed decision off of what you know.&rdquo;</span></p>
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Issue:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/issue/2014-12">2014-12</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2014-12/moneypuck-era#commentsAnalyticsChicago BlackhawkscoachingLA KingsNHLtechnologyFeatureTue, 25 Nov 2014 16:19:47 +0000admin10717 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comThe Hottest Show On Icehttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/hottest-show-ice
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The High-Flying Chicago Blackhawks Taking Record-Streak In Stride </div>
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By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/node/12">Harry Thompson</a> </div>
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<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Blackhawks.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-preview " width="525" height="385" /></span><em style="font-size: xx-small;">Getty Images</em></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Through good times and bad, the Chicago Blackhawks have long been one of the NHL's most popular teams. An Original Six team with a rabid and knowledgeable fan base, the Blackhawks pack 'em in whether it's in the friendly confines of the United Center, where they have sold out 202 consecutive games, or on the road where their iconic logo often outnumbers the home colors.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">All of that has been ratcheted up a notch lately as the high-flying 'Hawks are soaring to spectacular heights this season, setting an NHL mark for the longest regulation unbeaten streak to open the season at 24 games (21-0-3).</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The Blackhawks blew into the Mile High city on Friday to complete the back half of a home and home series with the Colorado Avalanche at the sold out Pepsi Center. They brought with them a breathe of fresh air for a league desperate for some positive PR in the wake of yet another labor dispute that put the NHL on ice, or in this case off it, for the better part of four months.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"It's great for the league and it's great for hockey," <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8469544#&amp;navid=nhl-search" target="_blank">Patrick Kane</a> said prior to Friday night's game. "It's very important to grow our game especially in the United States and try to get people to view the game as the best game in the world."</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">For a veteran team that still sports a chip on its shoulder after being bounced by the Phoenix Coyotes in last year's playoffs, the endless questions about the streak and increased media attention comes with the territory. To a man in the Chicago locker room, no one is looking too far down the road.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"I think we're still just trying to take it one game at a time," Kane said. "It's not like we're looking ahead at going undefeated the whole season, we're just trying to win the next game and keep the streak alive."</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span class="inline inline-left"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Kane_1.img_assist_custom-280x190.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-img_assist_custom-280x190 " width="279" height="190" /></span>As for Kane, who spent the lockout playing in Switzerland, he is enjoying the best start of his 6-year career.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"I think I'm just trying to take it game by game, just like the team," said Kane, who came into the weekend with a team-high 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists). "We're trying not to be satisfied and that's the same mindset for myself."</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The Hawks' success has been more than just Kane though. It has been a total team effort with 13 players notching game-winning goals, including tough guy Daniel Carcillo, who potted his first goal of the season with 50 seconds remaining to down the Avalanche on Wednesday.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"We know we can win in those close games like we have," said Kane. "We've won 13 one-goal games and a different guy stepping up every night. It's pretty fun."</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">More than just his team's record-setting start and balanced scoring from all four lines, head coach Joel Quenneville has been most impressed with the focus of his team as it continues to stick to a grueling schedule compacted by the lockout.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"I think we're having fun with it and looking at each game and trying to max out everything we can that night," said Quenneville.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"We're looking in the short term and maybe after the game you look a little broader than that. I think the guys' focus has been in the right place and consistent with how they're preparing. I love their consistency but down the stretch of games we're finding ways to win."</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Along the way the Hawks have built a nice cushion over the rest of the <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/standings.htm?type=con#&amp;navid=nav-stn-conf" target="_blank">Western Conference with 45 points, 10 more than the next closest competitor (Anaheim)</a>.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Blackhawkscelebration.img_assist_custom-280x197.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-img_assist_custom-280x197 " width="280" height="197" /></span>With the added notoriety comes the pressure of knowing that the next opponent will bring its best effort as they look to be the team that knocks the Hawks off their unbeaten perch.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"I think that every game we've been in lately is a playoff environment. The intensity takes on an almost Game 7 mentality for our opponents," Quenneville said. "That's the challenge that we're facing and the guys still welcome it and are taking it on and dealing with it."</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The Blackhawks have not only been the talk of the hockey world, but the rest of the sports universe seems to have latched on to the streak, which rivals the unbeaten streak by the NBA's Miami Heat. Even the <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-03-07/sports/chi-lebron-james-blackhawks-20130307_1_lebron-james-guys-chicago-blackhawks" target="_blank">Heat's LeBron James is chiming in on the Hawks start, taking to the Twitterverse to laud their success</a>.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"I think it's great for the sport. You turn on ESPN and it's one of the first stories on and you don't see that much with hockey so you know you must be doing something right," Kane said.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"It's cool that the most popular athlete in the world is talking about us right now. I like that."</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Still, Kane wouldn't get sucked into the rising debate over which streak is more impressive.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"They're at 16 games and we are at 24 unbeaten so I don't know. It's kind of up in the air (which streak is better)," he said.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"When you look at theirs I don't think it's even the longest (streak) in the NBA this year, I think the Clippers have 19 or something. But it's cool to be compared (with the Heat). I think both streaks are unbelievable in their own right."</span></p>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/hottest-show-ice#commentsBrandon SaadChicago BlackhawksHistoryLebron JamesNick LeddyPatrick Kanerecordwin streakOnline Bonus ContentFri, 08 Mar 2013 22:14:24 +0000jfelisko8295 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comOnline Exclusive: Jack Skille Video Interviewhttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2011-03/online-exclusive-jack-skille-video-interview
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<a href="/node/99">USA Hockey Magazine</a> </div>
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<p>NTDP alum Jack Skille chatted with USA Hockey Magazine on everything from Wisconsin down to Chicago during the Blackhawks trip to the Rocky Mountains in December. Don't forget to check out the full story on Skille's trip up in the NHL in the March issue of <a href="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2011-03/jack-skille" target="_blank">First Liners</a>.</p>
<p>**<strong>Editors Note</strong>: Skille was traded to the Florida Panthers on Feb.9**</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:02BF25D5-8C17-4B23-BC80-D3488ABDDC6B" width="530" height="390" codebase="http://www.apple.com/qtactivex/qtplugin.cab"><param name="src" value="http://usahockey.cachefly.net/MagazineVideos/SkilleFinal.m4v" /> <param name="autoplay" value="true" /> <param name="type" value="video/quicktime" /> <embed type="video/quicktime" width="530" height="390" src="http://usahockey.cachefly.net/MagazineVideos/SkilleFinal.m4v" autoplay="true" pluginspage="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/"></embed></object></p>
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<a href="/issue/2011-03">2011-03</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2011-03/online-exclusive-jack-skille-video-interview#commentsChicago BlackhawksFlorida PanthersJack SkillevideoWisconsinFirst LinersWed, 02 Mar 2011 21:53:32 +0000jessip2244277 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comJack Skillehttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2011-03/jack-skille
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Skille Still Striving To Live Up To Great Expectations </div>
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<a href="/author/jessi-pierce">Jessi Pierce</a> </div>
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<p><span class="inline inline-left"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.org/sites/default/files/images/Skille-2b.img_assist_custom-296x386.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-img_assist_custom-296x386 " width="296" height="386" /></span>Like most NHL entry drafts, the 2005 class was full of rising stars and high expectations. Led by superstar-in-waiting Sidney Crosby, and American stars Bobby Ryan and Jack Johnson, it was a year of promise and potential up and down the draft board.</p>
<p>Perhaps no team was more desperate to capture lightning in a bottle than the Chicago Blackhawks, who had missed the playoffs six of the past seven seasons. Looking to turn their fortunes around, the Original Six franchise looked to Jack Skille, a rugged, no-nonsense right wing out of the National Team Development Program.</p>
<p>The Blackhawks selected the Madison, Wis., native with the seventh overall pick, one of a then record eight Americans who heard their names called in the first round.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It was a good class to be a part of, and it was fun to see all the players getting picked up. I can still remember the exact player in the exact countdown,&rdquo; said Skille, who had already announced that he would follow in his father Lee&rsquo;s footsteps and suit up for the hometown University of Wisconsin Badgers. </p>
<p>&ldquo;It was an honor to be a part of, but it also put some pressure on me to live up to being the first round pick.&rdquo;</p>
<p>For Skille, dealing with great expectations was nothing new. He arrived in Ann Arbor, Mich., as a highly-ranked prospect, and his two years with the NTDP helped him refine his game.<br />&ldquo;Going through the [National Team] Development Program got me a little bit of exposure, playing with some of the best kids in the nation,&rdquo; said Skille who helped the U.S. win back-to-back medals at the IIHF Under-18 Championships.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It really helped me mature as a young kid, playing away from home, and develop as a player. USA Hockey had a huge role in helping me get to where I am today.&rdquo;</p>
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<h3>Jack Skille&nbsp; #20</h3>
<p><strong>Position: </strong>Right Wing&nbsp; <strong><br /> Shoots:</strong> Right<strong><br /> Height:</strong> 6-foot-1&nbsp; Weight: 215 pounds<strong><br />Birthdate: </strong>May 19, 1987<strong><br />Hometown: </strong>Madison, Wis.<strong><br />College: </strong>University of Wisconsin<strong><br />USA Hockey History:</strong> Selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1st round (7th overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Played two years at the National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich., from 2003 to 2005, helping the United States earn a silver medal at the 2004 Under-18 Championships, and a gold medal at the 2005 Under-18 Championships. Was also a two-time member of the U.S. National Junior Team, competing at the 2006 and 2007 IIHF World Junior Championships.</p>
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<p>Suiting up for his hometown Badgers, Skille continued to garner national recognition, making an immediate impact his rookie season, scoring the game-winning goal in triple-overtime to push the Badgers past Cornell University and into the 2006 NCAA Frozen Four for the first time since 1992.</p>
<p>&ldquo;That [winning the NCAA National Championship] was surreal, I couldn&rsquo;t have asked for a better year or a better team of guys,&rdquo; said Skille, who tallied 13 goals and eight assists during his freshman campaign.</p>
<p>Again, high expectations followed Skille into his sophomore season, but injury and failure to qualify for the 2007 NCAA tournament closed the book on his college career as he opted to sign with Chicago&rsquo;s AHL affiliate in Rockford, Ill., after the season.</p>
<p>At a time when many of his fellow draft classmates were already making a name for themselves in the NHL, Skille found himself mired in the minors where he continued to work hard to refine different aspects of his game.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m working too hard and I get myself out of position, and that&rsquo;s something I am learning every day,&rdquo; said the 23-year-old, who finally earned a roster spot with the Blackhawks this season. </p>
<p>&ldquo;I have to make sure that I&rsquo;m more controlled out there and able to make the right smart play and knowing if I do, my offense will come off that.&rdquo;</p>
<p>And while Skille has managed to silence some of his critics while carving out a niche on the squad, it&rsquo;s hard to shake the expectations that come with defending the first Stanley Cup title in 49 years.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a lot of pressure to perform but I think guys have let last year go and we have to in order to have a good season,&rdquo; Skille said. </p>
<p>&ldquo;I think we doing a pretty good job so far of not dwelling on the past and working hard every day. We&rsquo;re not, and this organization is not content with just one Stanley Cup win.&rdquo;</p>
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<h2><span class="inline inline-left"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.org/sites/default/files/images/Youth-Star-0311.img_assist_custom-95x127.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-img_assist_custom-95x127 " width="95" height="127" /></span></h2>
<h2>YOUTH STAR</h2>
<p><strong>Frank DiChiara<br />Age: 17<br />hometown: Ronkonkoma, N.Y.</strong></p>
<p>As a senior at Connetquot High School, Frank has a 4.1 grade-point average, and is in the top 10 percent of his class. He is a member of both the National Honor Society and the Foreign Language Honor Society. </p>
<p>Frank prides himself on working in his spare time with the American Cancer Society and the United States Hockey Players Support Our Troops Foundation. Frank, as well as many other young hockey players in the area, have gotten together and made up care packages to send to Afghanistan for the troops. </p>
<p>&ldquo;My time management is key in order for me to maintain my high average in school, work with the charities that are close to my heart and still be able to play at a high level of hockey,&rdquo; said Frank, whose dream is to play college hockey.</p>
<p>This season, Frank looks to continue his high level of play as he and the Long Island Royals continue to make a push for the top seed in the tight Mullen Division.</p>
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<a href="/issue/2011-03">2011-03</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2011-03/jack-skille#commentsChicago BlackhawksJack SkilleWisconsinYouth StarYouth Star of the MonthFirst LinersTue, 01 Mar 2011 20:47:09 +0000admin4236 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comBullish On Burishhttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2010-08/bullish-burish
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Blackhawks Forward’s Blue-Collar Style A Hit In Chicago </div>
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<p>Ask any hockey fan to name a player on the 2010 Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks and young stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews will immediately come to mind. Ask a diehard Blackhawks fan to name his or her favorite player and Adam Burish will likely be near the top of the list.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.org/sites/default/files/images/Burish-1.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="252" height="410" /></span>In only his third season in the Windy City, Burish has already won the hearts of Chicago fans with his boundless energy and blue-collar work ethic. The Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois named Burish their Man of the Year after his rookie campaign.</p>
<p>The 27-year-old Madison, Wis., native revels in his role as an &ldquo;energy guy,&rdquo; a fire-starter who ignites his teammates and the fans with his wide-open throttle style of play.</p>
<p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a competitive guy and you get a spark from him, be it watching him play or his enthusiasm,&rdquo; Chicago Head Coach Joel Quenneville said of Burish. &ldquo;[He&rsquo;s] well liked by his teammates and one of those guys you like being on your side.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Oftentimes his boundless energy lands Burish in the penalty box. A self-described &ldquo;in-your-face pest&rdquo; on the ice, Burish has become a master of confrontation during the game, using that annoying skill to throw opponents off their game.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I love confrontation. When the game is all said and done I hope players still have respect for me,&rdquo; said Burish, who is not afraid to throw his 6-foot-0, 190-pound frame around.</p>
<p>&ldquo;But I want them to say, &lsquo;Man, I hated playing against that guy. &hellip; He&rsquo;s a pest. &hellip; To me that&rsquo;s a compliment.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The ultimate compliment for the 282nd overall pick in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft is that the Blackhawks have come to rely on Burish in critical situations where one mistake can lead to the puck in the back of the net.</p>
<p>Call it professional development for a player who made a name for himself with his offensive abilities with the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League. From there it was on to the University of Wisconsin, where Burish fulfilled a lifelong dream by captaining the Badgers to the 2006 NCAA National Championship, setting up both goals in a 2-1 victory over Boston College.</p>
<p>&ldquo;In college, I was out there on the power play. I was starting every game, and in the NHL you don&rsquo;t have that,&rdquo; said Burish, who refined his game during his four years in Madison. &ldquo;And that&rsquo;s fine with me. I love the role I have.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve become more of an energy kind of guy. More of a guy that can be dependable every night &ndash; you know what you&rsquo;re going to get out of me every night.&rdquo;</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.org/sites/default/files/images/burish-red-carpet.jpg" alt="In his third year in the NHL, Adam Burish has scored some big goals in helping the Chicago Blackhawks return to prominence." title="In his third year in the NHL, Adam Burish has scored some big goals in helping the Chicago Blackhawks return to prominence." class="image image-_original " width="525" height="350" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">In his third year in the NHL, Adam Burish has scored some big goals in helping the Chicago Blackhawks return to prominence.</span></span></p>
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<p>In 2008, Burish got the opportunity to bring his contagious personality to Team USA. For the first time in his career, Burish got the chance to fight on the same side as many of his NHL opponents for the IIHF World Championship.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It was really special for me. I&rsquo;d never had the chance to play for Team USA before,&rdquo; Burish said. &ldquo;It was so neat to be recognized as one of the few players selected to play for your country. And you always hear about how it&rsquo;s special the first time you get to play for your country, and it really is.&rdquo;</p>
<p>True to form, Burish earned three assists and racked up 27 penalty minutes during Team USA&rsquo;s seven appearances. The following year, Burish and the Blackhawks made a run for the Stanley Cup, making it all the way to the semifinals before being ousted by Detroit.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.org/sites/default/files/images/burish2.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="252" height="391" /></span>When the 2009-10 season officially began, the Chicago forward was nowhere to be found. Burish was injured in a preseason scrimmage against Minnesota, tearing the ACL in his right knee. It was the second major knee injury of his career. </p>
<p>In 2001, Burish was thrown 40 feet from a car in an accident that nearly demolished his left knee. Compared to a year of rehab and learning how to walk again, five months out of the action was nothing.</p>
<p>&ldquo;For those five months the hardest part, just mentally, you don&rsquo;t feel a part of it when you&rsquo;re not playing &hellip; and the guys are gone for two weeks on a road trip and you&rsquo;re just sitting in Chicago by yourself,&rdquo; Burish said.</p>
<p>His return to the Blackhawks lineup in mid-March brought an added spark at a time when the long season began to take its toll on some of his teammates.</p>
<p>Burish&rsquo;s teammate Patrick Kane was eager to see how he would celebrate his first shift back on the ice.</p>
<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s the biggest thing with him, his energy,&rdquo; said the hero of the Blackhawks&rsquo; Cup clincher. &ldquo;So when he came back after his long knee surgery, it was kind of funny just to watch him out there, just to see what to expect from him his first game back. </p>
<p>&ldquo;We knew he was going to be fine, and I think he had an assist and a fight his first shift, so he was pretty ready for that game.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Cracking the talent laden lineup, Burish played in 15 of the Blackhawks 22 playoff games, bringing his patented spark to the team&rsquo;s drive toward the Stanley Cup.</p>
<p>&ldquo;When you win a championship &hellip; you have an immediate connection with those guys that you won with for the rest of your life,&rdquo; said Burish, who added his name to the Cup in addition to his NCAA Championship ring. </p>
<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s nothing more special than that.&rdquo;</p>
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<a href="/issue/2010-08">2010-08</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2010-08/bullish-burish#commentsAdam BurishChicago BlackhawksFeatureTue, 03 Aug 2010 21:28:32 +0000admin2945 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comKane KO's Flyershttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/kane-kos-flyers
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Buffalo Native Leads Blackhawks To First Cup Title In 49 Years </div>
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<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://ushockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Kane 1.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-preview " width="525" height="400" /></span>It&rsquo;s been 102 days, five hours and 11 minutes since Patrick Kane sat helplessly on the Team USA bench and watched Sidney Crosby slip a short-side shot past Ryan Miller in overtime to win the gold medal at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.</p>
<p>Fast forward to Wednesday night and here was Kane, another of the rising stars who have brought a new luster to the NHL, enjoying his own overtime heroics after beating Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton with a similar shot to give the Chicago Blackhawks its first Stanley Cup title in 49 years.</p>
<p>It&rsquo;s been quite a year for the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, starting off on a sour note with an assault charge against a cab driver on Aug. 9 and ending 10 months later with him hoisting the Cup around the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. Along the way, Kane participated in the U.S. Olympic Orientation Camp, the Blackhawks training camp, opened the regular season in Helsinki, Finland, played in all 82 games along the way, including 22 playoff games, including six hard-fought games in the Finals.<span class="inline inline-left"><img src="http://ushockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/101936024.img_assist_custom-280x420.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-img_assist_custom-280x420 " width="280" height="420" /></span></p>
<p>&ldquo;It didn&rsquo;t start off very good back in August. But I think sometimes you know you go through those kinds of things as a young kid. You can really learn from them and try to better yourself as a person and as an athlete too. Yeah, there were ups and downs,&rdquo; said the 21-year-old Buffalo native.</p>
<p>&ldquo;As far as hockey-wise, I can be pretty satisfied. I thought I had a really good year as far as, you know, Olympics, obviously, you win the Stanley Cup, it&rsquo;s pretty special too. Just really unbelievable to see how things can go from so bad to so good.&rdquo;</p>
<p>So good is just one of the many adjectives that can be used to describe the National Team Development Program alumni.</p>
<p>In his only his third full season in the NHL, Kane already has amassed 76 goals and 154 assists while playing in all but two regular season games. In only his second postseason, Kane seemed to find another gear to his game, notching 28 points, one fewer than teammate Jonathan Toews, who captured the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.</p>
<p>After the Flyers sent Game 6 into overtime, Kane managed to steal the show, picking up a pass along the boards, deking around Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen and slipping a shot past Leighton. </p>
<p>As Kane cruised around the net, he sent equipment flying in the air as a stunned Flyers team and their fans couldn&rsquo;t believe their historic march to the Cup had ended so suddenly.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t see the goal,&rdquo; said Flyers coach Peter Laviolette. &ldquo;Things happened quick. I saw one of their players skate across the ice like he had won something. I got a little pit in my stomach.&rdquo;<span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://ushockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/97108660.img_assist_custom-280x187.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-img_assist_custom-280x187 " width="280" height="187" /></span></p>
<p>After being shut down in the first two games of the series, Kane emerged when it mattered most, notching eight points, including the Cup winner as part of a three-point outing in Game 6.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t believe this just happened,&rdquo; Kane said. &ldquo;It's something you dream of as a kid. To score the winning goal in the Stanley Cup Finals. It was just -- it was unbelievable.&rdquo;</p>
<p>After a long season, Kane is looking forward to taking some time off and relaxing at home with friends and family. That will surely include bringing the Stanley Cup to Buffalo to share it with those who have supported him through good times and bad.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s something you probably think about a little more and try to have a great day with it," Kane said. "I'm sure it will be unbelievable having that thing for a full day.&rdquo;</p>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/kane-kos-flyers#commentsChicago BlackhawksPatrick KanePhiladelphia FlyersStanley CupOnline Bonus ContentThu, 10 Jun 2010 20:51:42 +0000harryt2806 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comCelebration Stationhttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2009-09/celebration-station
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The Fine Line Between Rejoicing And Rubbing It In </div>
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<a href="/node/35">Michael Huie</a> </div>
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<p><strong><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.org/sites/default/files/images/0909-celebrate-Hurricane-crowd.img_assist_custom-350x567.jpg" alt="Goal celebrations by Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes, or the Washington Capitals&amp;rsquo; Alex Ovechkin, can really fire up the home crowd, but can also set opposing players fuming." title="Goal celebrations by Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes, or the Washington Capitals&amp;rsquo; Alex Ovechkin, can really fire up the home crowd, but can also set opposing players fuming." class="image image-img_assist_custom-350x567 " width="350" height="567" /><span class="caption" style="width: 348px;">Goal celebrations by Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes, or the Washington Capitals&rsquo; Alex Ovechkin, can really fire up the home crowd, but can also set opposing players fuming.</span></span></strong>He shoots, he scores, he celebrates.</p>
<p>It&rsquo;s a moment every hockey player dreams about. You score a big goal and the celebration begins. Sometimes it&rsquo;s a spontaneous burst of excitement or maybe a simple tapping of the gloves with your teammates on the bench.</p>
<p>Or maybe it&rsquo;s pretending your stick is on fire.</p>
<p>This season in the NHL, and around the hockey world, goal celebrations were a hot topic. It reached a boiling point when television commentator Don Cherry compared Washington Capitals&rsquo; superstar Alexander Ovechkin&rsquo;s goal celebrations to those favored by soccer players. Even Sidney Crosby weighed in, saying, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t like it personally, but that&rsquo;s him.&rdquo;</p>
<p>A former NHL coach, Cherry is something of a Canadian icon, and appears each Saturday night on Hockey Night in Canada. During a March segment of &ldquo;Coach&rsquo;s Corner,&rdquo; Cherry, who is known for his old-time hockey rants and his loud suits, said, &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t start acting like these goofy soccer guys.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />Ovechkin thought Cherry&rsquo;s comments were funny.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I just laughed when I saw his suits,&rdquo; Ovechkin told The Washington Post. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s funny. In hockey we need someone like that, someone who thinks I&rsquo;m celebrating like a soccer player. Maybe Canadians don&rsquo;t have soccer teams. Maybe he&rsquo;s jealous of Russia.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Three weeks later, the controversy got hotter. Literally. </p>
<p>On March 19, Ovechkin scored his 50th goal of the season during a win in Tampa Bay. After scoring, he dropped to the ice and pretended his stick was too hot to touch. In a post-game interview, Ovechkin said the celebration was suggested by some of his teammates.</p>
<p>Several Lightning players took exception to the celebration, and coach Rick Tocchet told the Tampa Tribune that Ovechkin &ldquo;came down a notch in [his] book after that.&rdquo; Cherry also piped in admitting that Ovechkin is &ldquo;not a mean guy,&rdquo; but that he needs to step up and be a role model.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-left"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.org/sites/default/files/images/0909-celebrate-ovechkin.img_assist_custom-300x386.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-img_assist_custom-300x386 " width="300" height="386" /></span>Hockey is a sport steeped in tradition and rich with unwritten rules. Some hockey analysts wondered if NFL-style celebrations would make their way to the NHL with players pulling Sharpies out of the net to sign pucks. However, many players and coaches think most hockey people know how to celebrate a goal.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />Carolina Hurricanes forward Erik Cole said Ovechkin plays the game wide open and the exuberant goal celebrations are simply part of his style.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think for [Ovechkin] it&rsquo;s a big part of who he is and his personality on the ice. He doesn&rsquo;t do anything quietly I guess is the best way to say it. He goes full tilt. He&rsquo;s a guy that gets excited,&rdquo; Cole said.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />Cole has scored big goals for the Hurricanes and for Team USA in the 2006 Olympics. He said the circumstances of the game should dictate the celebration, and also the significance of the moment.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think a lot of it is how the moment takes you. You don&rsquo;t celebrate the 7th goal of a blow out,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;My whole thing with goal celebrations is act like you&rsquo;ve done it before. [Former Hurricane] Jeff O&rsquo;Neill said that to me a long time ago.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Jim Johannson is the assistant executive director for USA Hockey and a two-time U.S. Olympian. An admitted &ldquo;purist,&rdquo; Johannson said he doesn&rsquo;t think Ovechkin&rsquo;s celebrations are disrespectful to the opposing team. He said having stars is good for the game, but that the way players celebrate goals depends on their personalities. A player like Joe Sakic may simply raise his stick whereas Ovechkin is more prone to slamming his body against the glass.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s important to have the different personalities of the players,&rdquo; said Johannson. &ldquo;I look at our players; the Mike Modanos and the Keith Tkachuks. Their personas on the ice are different. There is not a right or wrong in how they celebrate.&rdquo; </p>
<p>Personalities and stars mean more exposure on national television.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think knowing [hockey] ranks behind poker on TV, the game needs good characters,&rdquo; said Dan Brennan, USA Hockey&rsquo;s manager of coaching education. &ldquo;I think right now even more so than Crosby, Ovechkin does it better. I have no problem with Ovechkin. He brings a lot of enthusiasm to the game. He doesn&rsquo;t show his opponents up; he just shows excitement.&rdquo;</p>
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<p><strong><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.org/sites/default/files/images/0909-celebrate-Kane-2.jpg" alt="Patrick Kane, 20, shows off his youthful exuberance after scoring a goal in the playoffs." title="Patrick Kane, 20, shows off his youthful exuberance after scoring a goal in the playoffs." class="image image-_original " width="525" height="406" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">Patrick Kane, 20, shows off his youthful exuberance after scoring a goal in the playoffs.</span></span></strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />Personalities may be good for the game&rsquo;s exposure, but Cherry directly addressed youth hockey players when dismissing Ovechkin&rsquo;s celebrations. Still, kids in the U.S. idolize him. </p>
<p>Paul Fidishun has coached all levels of youth hockey at the Greensboro (N.C.) Ice House. He said that even though kids look up to NHL stars, the coach can teach them how and when to celebrate a goal.<br />&ldquo;A lot of it depends on the situation,&rdquo; Fidishun said. &ldquo;What we try and teach them, I guess, is just good sportsmanship and respect for the other team.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Younger kids get excited. It&rsquo;s just part of the game, and we don&rsquo;t discourage that.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Brennan said respect for the opponent and good sportsmanship is learned early at the grass-roots level. He said players can still celebrate their accomplishments without taunting an opponent.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The one thing that I&rsquo;ve always loved about our game is the tradition. It&rsquo;s the only game where at the end players shake hands,&rdquo; said Brennan, who grew up in British Columbia and played college hockey at Colorado College and professionally in Sweden. </p>
<p>&ldquo;But I think you can still have fun without disrespecting the other players. There&rsquo;s fun and then there&rsquo;s a line there. I think kids can learn that from their coach.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Cole has made it a priority to teach sportsmanship to his 5-year-old son. He said that whether they play hockey in the driveway or any other game, when it&rsquo;s over he looks his son in the eye, shakes his hand and says &ldquo;good game.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Johannson feels that respect between players is one area where hockey is way ahead of other sports.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;d be hard pressed to find a time when someone did something to disrespect the other team,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I think hockey, as a whole, has done a good job of keeping the lack of respect for opponents in check.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Still fans come to be entertained, and Johannson said when the stars of hockey put on a good show, it benefits the sport.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think when Ovechkin scores his 500th [goal] he&rsquo;s going to make a show of it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Part of that&rsquo;s good for the game, because guess what will be on Sportscenter?&rdquo;</p>
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<a href="/issue/2009-09">2009-09</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2009-09/celebration-station#commentsAlex OvechkinChicago BlackhawksEric Staalhockey celebrationsPatrick KaneWashington CapitalsFeatureWed, 09 Sep 2009 14:36:38 +00001473 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comScott Fusco, Les Auge, Bill Stewart, Golf with Olympianshttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2009-09/scott-fusco-les-auge-bill-stewart-golf-olympians
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<a href="/node/102">Cameron Eickmeyer</a> </div>
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<h3><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0909history-Mark-Fusco-clip.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="270" height="363" /></span>Fusco Feats Likely To Remain Part Of Harvard Lore</h3>
<p>Scott Fusco set a number of records at Harvard University &ndash; the longest scoring streak in school history (29 games) and the highest mark for career points (240), assists (133) and game-winning goals (17) &ndash; records he thinks will never be broken. </p>
<p>But before you go thinking Fusco is full of himself for thinking that, let him explain.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Hockey has changed so much,&rdquo; says Fusco. &ldquo;Scoring is down, so that makes it difficult for anyone to reach those numbers. And with the amount of money there is in pro hockey, anyone who is good enough to break my records probably won&rsquo;t stay in college long enough to do it.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Fusco led the Crimson to three NCAA tournaments and the national championship game in 1983 and 1986, during a time when Harvard was still making its way up the hockey ranks. </p>
<p>&ldquo;Harvard wasn&rsquo;t really thought of as a hockey power like Wisconsin, Minnesota or Boston University,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;Hockey people knew we were good, but the fans expected us to get killed.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Fusco continued to help put Harvard on the map when he became the second player in school history to win the Hobey Baker Award after his brother, Mark, took it home three years earlier. He was drafted by the New Jersey Devils after his first two seasons with the Crimson, but after playing in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, opted not to enter the NHL.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I played in Switzerland for a year and after that I decided I&rsquo;d had enough of hockey,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;Playing in the NHL was never a big goal of mine, and it was time to do something else.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Fusco couldn&rsquo;t stay away from the game for too long. He now runs a 15-team girls&rsquo; youth league outside of Boston, co-owns and manages a sports complex that houses the ice rink where his teams play, and plays a little pick-up Wednesday nights with his brother.</p>
<p>&ldquo;There are a couple guys who have a few steps on me, but it&rsquo;s a good level of hockey for a bunch of old guys,&rdquo; Fusco jokes. &ldquo;Hopefully, that continues forever. You never want to stop playing.&rdquo;</p>
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<h3>Auge Came Close To Joining &lsquo;Miracle&rsquo; Team</h3>
<p><strong><span class="inline inline-left"><img src="http://usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0909history-Auge.img_assist_custom-150x186.jpg" alt="Les Auge" title="Les Auge" class="image image-img_assist_custom-150x186 " width="150" height="186" /><span class="caption" style="width: 148px;">Les Auge</span></span></strong>Time has a way of rewriting history, especially when Hollywood is involved.</p>
<p>In the 2004 movie &ldquo;Miracle,&rdquo; there is a scene where Ralph Cox, played by actor Kenneth Mitchell, is the last cut made by coach Herb Brooks. But in 1981, a TV miniseries about the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team focuses on the last cut being Les Auge, who is played by Jerry Houser, who was Dave &ldquo;Killer&rdquo; Carlson in the movie &ldquo;Slapshot.&rdquo;</p>
<p>No matter how you slice it, Auge was one of the last players cut from the U.S. Team that went on to shock the sporting world at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympic Winter Games.</p>
<p>The St. Paul, Minn., native played for Brooks at the University of Minnesota from 1972 to 75, earning a spot on the NCAA West First All-American Team in 1975. </p>
<p>After several seasons in the minor leagues, Auge was reunited with Brooks at the 1979 IIHF World Championships in Moscow. </p>
<p>Hoping to earn a spot on the Olympic Team, Auge stayed with the program but was devastated when he was cut from the final Olympic roster. </p>
<p>Auge returned to pro hockey, spending time with the Fort Worth Texans and Hershey Bears before being called up by the Colorado Rockies. </p>
<p>Auge passed away at the age of 49, during open-heart surgery. The Gophers honored Auge by including him on a mural in Mariucci Arena.</p>
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<h3><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0909-history-Bill_Stewart.img_assist_custom-150x176.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-img_assist_custom-150x176 " width="150" height="176" /></span></h3>
<h3>Did You Know?</h3>
<p>Bill Stewart was the first American coach to win the Stanley Cup. In his first season as head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks, the Boston native led the team to a Stanley Cup in 1938. </p>
<p>Born in Fitchburg, Mass., Stewart was an NHL referee who took a two-year hiatus to coach the Blackhawks. He put the stripes back on for one final season in 1941 before retiring.</p>
<p>Stewart&rsquo;s grandson, Paul, followed in his footsteps as an NHL referee.</p>
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<h3>Tee Off With Olympians</h3>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0909history-Golf-Outing.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="525" height="276" /></span></p>
<p>To win an Olympic medal, you have to be a tight-knit group on and off the ice. The 1972 U.S. Olympic Team that won the silver medal in Sapporo, Japan was no exception. What is remarkable is how strong their bonds of friendship are today, more than three decades later.</p>
<p>The core of the team still gets together on a regular basis, usually on the golf course to share a few laughs and swap some old hockey stories. Over the years they have opened up their inner circle to include other Olympians and hockey players.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The event is open to anyone who is a friend of hockey,&rdquo; said Tom Mellor, a defenseman with the 1972 Team. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re one big family.&rdquo;</p>
<p>On the heels of last year&rsquo;s success, this year&rsquo;s golf outing will take place on Sept. 20 at the Willow Bend Golf Course in Mashpee, Mass.</p>
<p>In addition to a round of golf, participants will be treated to a New England style clambake.</p>
<p>Among those schedule to attend will be Murray Williamson, who coached the 1968 and 1972 U.S. Olympic Teams, Keith &ldquo;Huffer&rdquo; Christensen and Mike &ldquo;Lefty&rdquo; Curran. </p>
<p>For more information or to reserve a spot in the tournament, contact Tom Mellor at <a href="mailto:tmellor@windhamcapitalgroup.com">tmellor@windhamcapitalgroup.com</a> or (617) 330-7474.</p>
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<p><span class="inline inline-left"><img src="http://usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0909history-Mark-Fusco-clip_0.thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-thumbnail " width="74" height="100" /></span></p>
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Issue:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/issue/2009-09">2009-09</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2009-09/scott-fusco-les-auge-bill-stewart-golf-olympians#comments1980 U.S. Olympic TeamBill StewartChicago BlackhawksHarvardIIHFLes AugeMiracle On IceScott FuscoHistory and HeroesWed, 09 Sep 2009 13:46:59 +00001465 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comTwenty Cents For Your Thoughtshttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/twenty-cents-your-thoughts
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Patrick Kane Makes First Statements About Cab Incident </div>
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By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/node/12">Harry Thompson</a> </div>
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<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://usahockeymagazine.org/sites/default/files/images/0908kane-press.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="525" height="449" /></span></p>
<p>In a more innocent age, a young boy stood on the steps of a Chicago courthouse looking up at disgraced Chicago White Sox baseball star &ldquo;Shoeless&rdquo; Joe Jackson, who had just been convicted of helping to conspire of throwing the 1919 World Series. </p>
<p>Looking up through unbelieving eyes, the boy asked the immortal question of his idol, &ldquo;Say it ain&rsquo;t so, Joe.&rdquo;</p>
<p>For the crowds of youth hockey players who stood in the rain outside the Seven Bridges Arena, the question they wanted to ask their hockey hero was along the same lines. </p>
<p>&ldquo;Say it ain&rsquo;t so, Patrick.&rdquo; </p>
<p>While today&rsquo;s fans have become numb to seeing their sporting heroes in the news for more than their on field exploits, these hockey fans were willing to give their hero the benefit of the doubt. </p>
<p>Patrick Kane, the 20-year-old superstar of the Chicago Blackhawks, has been in the news lately for a late night incident involving a Buffalo cab driver that left the hockey world shaking its head. Not only was the incident out of character for the No. 1 draft pick of the Blackhawks in 2007, it also centered around a 20 cent tip.</p>
<p>To the players and parents in the arena to see the U.S. Olympic orientation camp, they were willing to forgive and forget their hero&rsquo;s indiscretion, and wanted to hear his side of the story.<span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://usahockeymagazine.org/sites/default/files/images/_MG_0293.img_assist_custom-280x350.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-img_assist_custom-280x350 " width="280" height="350" /></span></p>
<p>&ldquo;You learn from your mistakes. He&rsquo;s a young kid and sometimes kids do dumb things,&rdquo; said Leila Dushane, who stood at the front of the line with her mother and daughter.</p>
<p>&ldquo;His youth showed and he acted his age,&rdquo; said Brent Meyers, who brought his son and several other Peewee players over from Rockford, Ill. &ldquo;Still, he is a professional athlete and shouldn&rsquo;t allow himself to be put in a situation like that.&nbsp; He has got to conduct himself like a professional. Kids look up to him.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Kane addressed the media prior to the start of the camp in an effort to keep the focus on the ice and begin the process of putting this ugly incident behind him.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I know that everyone wants to talk about what happened in Buffalo. As you know the legal proceedings are pending and I cannot discuss the details at this time,&rdquo; said Kane.</p>
<p>Looking a bit like a deer in the media headlights, Kane made a statement on Monday, but since the case is still ongoing, he couldn&rsquo;t offer details surrounding the incident at 4 a.m. on Aug. 9. Kane was supposed to appear in front of a Buffalo judge the same morning as the opening of camp but received a delay to skate with 33 other Olympic hopefuls.</p>
<p>While Kane couldn&rsquo;t offer specifics, a Buffalo police spokesman said the dispute in question centered around Kane and his cousin James Kane were traveling back from the Chippewa Street Nightlife district of the city. There was a dispute over the fare and Kane and his cousin were charged with second-degree robbery, a Class C felony, as well as fourth-degree criminal mischief and theft of services, both Class A misdemeanors. The pair pleaded innocent to all charges.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-left"><img src="http://usahockeymagazine.org/sites/default/files/images/_MG_9553_0.img_assist_custom-280x187.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-img_assist_custom-280x187 " width="280" height="187" /></span>&ldquo;Because I put myself in being in the wrong position at the wrong time, I have caused a lot of pain for my family, my hometown of Buffalo, the city of Chicago, the Chicago Blackhawks, and the great fans we have here in Chicago. For that part I sincerely apologize,&rdquo; said Kane. </p>
<p>As quickly as he arrived, Kane slipped out a side door and down to the locker room to meet with fellow American teammates before heading out to the ice for the first of three on-ice sessions.</p>
<p>As he hit the ice, he received a huge ovation from a throng of fans, many of whom were sporting Blackhawks jerseys with &ldquo;Kane 88&rdquo; on the back. For them, the incident is over, and it&rsquo;s time to drop the puck on a great camp and another successful season.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m looking for him to set the record straight and move on and get ready for the season,&rdquo; said Meyers.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I agree,&rdquo; said 12-year-old Kevin Ward. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s time to focus on hockey.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Harry Thompson is the editor of USA Hockey Magazine.</p>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/twenty-cents-your-thoughts#commentsChicagoChicago BlackhawksNHLPatrick KaneOnline Bonus ContentMon, 17 Aug 2009 16:04:50 +00001374 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comChatterbox: Social Media in Hockeyhttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2009-08/chatterbox-social-media-hockey
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How Social Media Is Connecting Hockey Fans On All Levels </div>
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By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/node/16">Danielle Bernstein</a> </div>
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<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.net/sites/default/files/images/0908-Social-Media-fans.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="525" height="393" /></span></p>
<p>Are you tied in to Twitter? Finding friends on Facebook? Lost without Linkedin?</p>
<p>If so, you&rsquo;re not alone. Millions of Americans, young and old, are tuning into a new way of communicating with friends, family and even strangers through the ever-evolving world of social media.</p>
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<h3 class="feature_headline_smaller">Related Story<br /></h3>
<p> <a href="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2009-08/online-only-social-media-101"><strong>Bonus Online Content: Social Media 101</strong></a><br />
<h2 class="feature_headline_smaller"></h2>
<h2 class="feature_headline_smaller">USA HOCKEY<br /> MAGAZINE GOES<br /> SOCIAL<br /></h2>
</p><p class="textlinkblack">With more than 1,200 Facebook fans and counting, <em>USA Hockey Magazine</em> is a great place to get updates on USA Hockey news and information on your favorite American players and coaches, as well as interact with other USA Hockey fans on important topics of the day.</p>
<p> Take part in our regular polls<br /> and message boards, post your<br /> own hockey photos and keep an<br /> eye out for a chance to win prizes from <em>USA Hockey Magazine.</em></p>
<p> By becoming a fan, you&rsquo;ll<br /> receive an exclusive preview of the latest issue of <em>USA Hockey Magazine</em> before it hits the presses.</p>
<p> Also follow us on Twitter for official info on the U.S. National Teams as they prepare for the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.</p>
<p class="textlinkblack">Find us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/usahockeymagazine" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and on <a href="http://twitter.com/USAHMagazine" target="_blank">Twitter</a></p>
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<p>It&rsquo;s changing how people share and receive information, everything from family gossip to international news, all in real time. And it&rsquo;s altering the sports information landscape, delivering athletes and teams off of the sports page and into a three-dimensional world of interactivity and connectivity.</p>
<p>More than any other sport, the hockey world has taken a firm grasp of social networking, making new media a 24/7 all-access pass to the game from the youth level to the pros, a global chat room on steroids, bringing the term &ldquo;one-on-one&rdquo; from the ice to the stands faster than you can tweet about it. <br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;Fans have always wanted to get as close to the athletes and know as much about the athletes and the sport as they can,&rdquo; says Mike DiLorenzo, the NHL&rsquo;s director of Corporate Communications.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think many of these services allow the fans to get a glimpse of what it&rsquo;s like to be an insider, and that is really the perspective we&rsquo;re trying to give to the fans so it&rsquo;s more fun to be a fan.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The NHL has been at the forefront of the professional sports leagues in terms of embracing social networking and the various ways it can be used to provide otherwise nonexistent opportunities to fans. Some teams are hiring dedicated social media coordinators to keep them in touch with their fans, and many NHL officials are on Twitter, including DiLorenzo, who spent a considerable amount of time tweeting during the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals, exposing fans who weren&rsquo;t at the arena to the thrill of playoff hockey. </p>
<p>The NHL has also used social networking to bring NHL fans together from around the globe by hosting a gathering of people organized completely by Twitter, also known as a &ldquo;tweetup.&rdquo; The idea came from a fan in New York who wanted to get a few people together to watch the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs at a local sports bar. With a little extra organizing, it grew to become an international event with 1,200 people in 23 cities all coming together in the name of hockey, and tweetups continued through the playoffs.</p>
<p>Teams within the league have also hopped on this new information highway, each finding new ways to engage their fans in ways previously not possible. The New York Islanders have used YouTube as an extension of Islanders&rsquo; TV, allowing fans to post their own videos, and have used its Facebook page, which has more than 8,400 fans, to host live chats with its players.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s unrealistic that fans are going to walk up to players on a regular basis and have a conversation with them. What Facebook allows them to do is really bring a one-on-one relationship to the fans, which they&rsquo;re not going to be able to find any other way,&rdquo; says Brett Topel, manager of Web and Publications for the Islanders.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.net/sites/default/files/images/0908-Social-Media-hawks2.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="525" height="212" /></span></p>
<p>For the Chicago Blackhawks, social media platforms began as a way to get fans news and information as quickly as possible, and transformed into unique opportunities for fans, such as Blackhawks&rsquo; wallpaper available only on Facebook or free tickets to a playoff game by entering a contest on Twitter. With the resurgence of hockey in the Windy City, there has been no shortage of participation from fans.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.net/sites/default/files/images/0908-Social-Media-ohioSt.img_assist_custom-320x282.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-img_assist_custom-320x282 " width="320" height="282" /></span>The Detroit Red Wings have taken things a step further, going as far as hiring someone specifically to manage its social media initiatives.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We like to be out in front of trends and push things into the market,&rdquo; says Mike Bayoff, Detroit&rsquo;s director of Publishing, New Media, and Alumni Relations. &ldquo;Research shows we have a lot of fans that live outside of our market, so the social network is an important element.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The benefits of using social media go beyond just the NHL. The Ohio State University has been the standard for colleges using these platforms. With more than 100,000 fans on Facebook, the Buckeyes&rsquo; athletic department has used the tool to sell hockey tickets and even organized a white-out, encouraging students and fans to wear white when Michigan came to town for a weekend series.</p>
<p>Even youth organizations have found ways to make it work, using it more as a tool to keep parents and players informed on practice times and important offseason information. The Tri County Penguins, a Southern California Independent youth hockey club that finished up its inaugural season, is doing just that, going beyond a Web site that posts just a roster and schedule and trying to get its members involved while fostering growth.</p>
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<p>For an equipment retail company like Total Hockey, social media provides a way to get immediate feedback on products, offer added customer service options and filter people to their store.<br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t know when someone picks up the yellow pages and is looking for you, or you don&rsquo;t know when they&rsquo;re entering words in Google,&rdquo; says Total Hockey&rsquo;s Vice President Rob Bowers. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s [social media] just more immediate.&rdquo;</p>
<p>In this advancing age of technology, where what&rsquo;s hot one day can be ice cold the next, the long-term sustainability of all these social media tools is unknown. Some think they will one day become obsolete, and others think they will continue to evolve and weave their way into the fabric of our daily lives.</p>
<p>Neither of those outcomes changes the fact that no matter where you are right now, social media is being used all over the hockey map. Fans might be wise to jump over the boards and into the conversation.</p>
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<h6>Photos - Getty Images, Ohio State University<br /></h6>
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Issue:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/issue/2009-08">2009-08</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2009-08/chatterbox-social-media-hockey#commentsChicago BlackhawksDetroit Red WingsfacebookMike DiLorenzoNHLsocial mediatwitterYouTubeFeatureMon, 03 Aug 2009 17:21:40 +00001258 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comWinds of Changehttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2008-10/winds-change
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Chicago Enjoying A Hockey Revival Thanks To New Way Of Marketing Original Six Team </div>
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By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/author/chris-peters">Chris Peters</a> </div>
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<p>&ldquo;The pride is back,&rdquo; read a homemade sign hanging off a balcony in Chicago&rsquo;s United Center late last season. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />The simple spray-painted message on a white bed sheet hadn&rsquo;t been seen since the early 1990s when the Chicago Blackhawks were among the hottest tickets in a sports-crazy town. </p>
<p>Now, after years of disappointing teams and a half-empty building, the Blackhawks are relevant once again in one of the country&rsquo;s biggest markets.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />Anyone who has been close to a hockey rink in the past year has heard about the resurgence of the Original Six team. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />It all began with the club&rsquo;s selection of Patrick Kane with the first overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Despite the buzz surrounding Kane, the city&rsquo;s frustrated fan base wasn&rsquo;t convinced that the 18-year-old phenom was enough.</p>
<p><strong><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.net/sites/default/files/images/0810-Blackhawks_Dettman_009_sign1.jpg" alt="Blackhawks fans braved the bitter cold of a Chicago winter to wait in line for autographs from Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews." title="Blackhawks fans braved the bitter cold of a Chicago winter to wait in line for autographs from Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews." class="image image-_original " width="525" height="360" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">Blackhawks fans braved the bitter cold of a Chicago winter to wait in line for autographs from Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.</span></span></strong><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p>
<p>Then lightning struck in the form of W. Rockwell &ldquo;Rocky&rdquo; Wirtz, who took over the Blackhawks after the passing of his father and long-time chairman of the franchise, William W. Wirtz. Rocky Wirtz instantly sent a message to Blackhawks fans. Change was on the horizon.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />Wirtz brought in one of the most respected executives in all of sports when he named John McDonough team president. McDonough came from the Chicago Cubs, one of professional sports&rsquo; most popular franchises. With more than 24 years of experience in the Chicago sports scene, McDonough came into his new job with a mission.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&ldquo;We had to change the culture here,&rdquo; said McDonough. &ldquo;Winning had to become part of the vernacular.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />Part of changing the culture was looking to the past, where winning and tradition were hallmarks of Blackhawk hockey. Within weeks, McDonough and Wirtz reached out to some of the biggest names in the team&rsquo;s history.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&ldquo;We needed to get out of the grudge business,&rdquo; said McDonough. &ldquo;We were in grudges with former players and former coaches. Forging agreements with [former Blackhawks] Tony Esposito, Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull, to me, were of paramount importance.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />The three Hall of Famers were tabbed as official Blackhawks&rsquo; ambassadors to represent the team at events around the Chicago area. Along with Esposito, Hull and Mikita, current Blackhawks went out into the community making appearances all over Chicagoland. Interest in the team began to rise.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />In February, the team announced that it would hold its first ever Chicago Blackhawks Convention in the summer of 2008. Some in the local media and not-yet converted fans snickered at the idea. The buzz was growing, but was the fan base?</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.net/sites/default/files/images/0810-Blackhawks_Dettman_014hawkline.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="525" height="350" /></span><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />The convention, the first of its kind in the NHL, sold out within days. By mid-March the team had sold out more games that season than the previous five combined.&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />If fans weren&rsquo;t yet convinced that the culture had changed, Wirtz and McDonough sent another message. The team announced that, for the first time in its history, all 82 regular-season games would be broadcast live on television in 2008-09. The team&rsquo;s long-standing policy of not televising home games was perhaps the most unpopular issue among fans.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />The Blackhawks had always been committed to youth hockey in Illinois and that was one of the things that certainly would not change.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&ldquo;Youth hockey has our full commitment,&rdquo; McDonough proclaimed. &ldquo;It is of paramount importance that we consistently connect and work closely with our youth hockey market in Illinois.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />To solidify that commitment, the Blackhawks hired Annie Camins to be its first-ever director of youth hockey. Camins can be found in rinks across Chicago promoting not just the Blackhawks, but the game of hockey.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p>
<p><strong><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.net/sites/default/files/images/0810-Blackhawks_Dettman_001pres.jpg" alt="Team President John McDonough, right, worked the crowd to thank them for their dedication to the team." title="Team President John McDonough, right, worked the crowd to thank them for their dedication to the team." class="image image-_original " width="525" height="350" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">Team President John McDonough, right, worked the crowd to thank them for their dedication to the team.</span></span></strong></p>
<p>Even though the Hawks fell just three points shy of the playoffs in 2007-08, fans knew that better days lay ahead.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />While there was disappointment in not making the postseason, the team found there was much to build on. The club saw a 32 percent increase in attendance from 2006-07 to 2007-08, but there was more work to be done. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />During a busy offseason of adding top-end free agents, including defenseman Brian Campbell and goaltender Cristobal Huet, bringing back fan favorites and recommitting to a fan base just waiting for something to cheer for, the Blackhawks struck gold.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />On July 16, 2008, the NHL awarded the Blackhawks the 2009 Winter Classic to be played on New Year&rsquo;s Day at McDonough&rsquo;s old stomping grounds, Wrigley Field. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />Blackhawk fever hasn&rsquo;t just made a comeback, it has become a full-blown epidemic. The proof can be found at the box office.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />McDonough said that the team has a chance to surpass its all-time season-ticket sales record. Last year, just 3,400 season tickets were sold; that number has grown to more than 13,000 for the upcoming season. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />All of the exciting things happening in Chicago are pleasing to the Blackhawks president, but there&rsquo;s still one thing left to do.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve marketed the team aggressively, we&rsquo;ve got a good business plan in place, we have great hockey people in place,&rdquo; said McDonough. </p>
<p>&ldquo;Now it&rsquo;s time to win.&rdquo; </p>
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<h5>Photos - Ross Dettmann, Getty Images</h5>
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Issue:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/issue/2008-10">2008-10</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2008-10/winds-change#commentsChicagoChicago BlackhawksJohn McDonoughJonathan ToewsPatrick KaneFeatureFri, 17 Jul 2009 16:14:03 +0000930 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comSecond City Starhttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2008-10/second-city-star
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Fresh Off His Rookie Of The Year Campaign, Patrick Kane Is Ready For An Encore Season In Chicago </div>
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By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/node/38">Kevin Oklobzija</a> </div>
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<p><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/patrick-kane1.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="230" height="380" /></span>We all know Patrick Kane should be living high on the hog right now. Or at least high on the chicken wing.<br />&nbsp;<br />After all, he&rsquo;s the most recent winner of the Calder Trophy as the NHL&rsquo;s Rookie of the Year and was a member of the NHL&rsquo;s All-Rookie Team.<br />&nbsp;<br />He was the leading scorer for the Chicago Blackhawks last season, setting a club record for assists by a rookie. And remember, this franchise has seen its share of Hall of Fame scorers &ndash; like Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull and Denis Savard &ndash; so setting records isn&rsquo;t easy.<br />&nbsp;<br />Thus, you would have expected to see a little strut in Kane&rsquo;s step, an &ldquo;I&rsquo;m-on-top-of-the-world&rdquo; air about him when he returned home to South Buffalo for the summer.<br />&nbsp;<br />Yeah, right. Who are we trying to kid?</p>
<p>One thing about Kane: He&rsquo;s apparently never going to forget where he came from or how he got to where he is.<br />&nbsp;<br />Things like the sacrifices made by family, from father Pat and mother Donna, to sisters Erica, Jessica and Jacqueline. The true-to-his roots upbringing. The simple-pleasures approach to life.<br />&nbsp;<br />Such as lounging around his parent&rsquo;s house for much of the summer.<br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;It&rsquo;s funny how the days fly by when you&rsquo;re just hanging out with your buddies,&rdquo; said Kane, who won&rsquo;t turn 20 until Nov. 19. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s so nice to wake up and have your mom make you breakfast.<br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been going pretty hard the last three or four years. It was good to actually have some down time this summer. It was good to be a normal kid again.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;<br />A normal kid who just happens to be one of the NHL&rsquo;s most dynamic young stars. Kane scored 21 goals, 51 assists and 72 points without missing any of the Blackhawks&rsquo; 82 games last season.<br />&nbsp;<br /><strong><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0810-kane_puck-in-the-net-Kane.jpg" alt="Patrick Kane was among the leading scorers for the U.S. National Junior Team at the 2007 IIHF World Junior Championship where Team USA won the bronze medal." title="Patrick Kane was among the leading scorers for the U.S. National Junior Team at the 2007 IIHF World Junior Championship where Team USA won the bronze medal." class="image image-_original " width="525" height="387" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">Patrick Kane was among the leading scorers for the U.S. National Junior Team at the 2007 IIHF World Junior Championship where Team USA won the bronze medal.</span></span></strong></p>
<p>And to think he was actually cut from a team once. Not when he was 7 or 8 years old, either. Back then, he always played up a level in Buffalo&rsquo;s youth hockey programs.<br />&nbsp;<br />No, the slight &ndash; over oversight &ndash; took place just three summers ago, when he was 16. Kane was not included on the initial list of invitees to Ann Arbor, Mich., for USA Hockey&rsquo;s National Team Development Program.</p>
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<h2>&ldquo;Hockey&rsquo;s been my life since I was 7 years old. When people say, &lsquo;You have the best life,&rsquo; I agree. I think it&rsquo;s a privilege to play hockey.&rdquo;<br /></h2>
<h5>Patrick Kane</h5>
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<p>&ldquo;It was kind of hard to really understand,&rdquo; Kane said. &ldquo;I think they thought I was going to go to the [Ontario Hockey League]. Then someone else couldn&rsquo;t make the commitment [to the NTDP] and they called me. We [he and his family] were like, &lsquo;They want to call now? We&rsquo;re not going.&rsquo;<br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;But then you think about it and realize what it means. You&rsquo;re surrounded by the best players in the United States at your age level. You train every day and work out on the ice for 2 or 2&frac12; hours. They prepare you for the next level.&rdquo;</p>
<p>It turned out to be a good move for all concerned as Kane left Ann Arbor as the second all-time leading scorer, and his 52 goals and 102 points during the 2005-06 season are still the benchmark for the program.</p>
<p>Now he&rsquo;s on his way to being one of the very best players in the world&rsquo;s best league. Coming off his sensational rookie season, the Blackhawks want even more.<br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;They mentioned in our one-on-one meetings that they&rsquo;re expecting a big year out of me,&rdquo; Kane said. &ldquo;They were saying top 10 in points, if not top 5.&rdquo;<br />Why not? If Kane could razzle and dazzle at 163 pounds, imagine what he can do now that his 5-foot-10 frame now packs 175 or so pounds.<br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;The thing is, he just got better as the season went along,&rdquo; Blackhawks general manager Dale Tallon said. &ldquo;The last six weeks, when, because of his size, you&rsquo;d have thought he&rsquo;d wear out, he just got stronger.&rdquo; </p>
<p>Over the summer, so did the Blackhawks. They added defenseman Brian Campbell and goalie Cristobal Huet on the first day of free agency.<br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;Growing up in Buffalo our whole life, the Sabres have never done a lot over the years in free agency so it was exciting for us to be active,&rdquo; Kane said. &ldquo;When you see free-agent signings like that, you&rsquo;re excited.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;<br /><strong><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0810-kane-laughing.jpg" alt="Blackhawks past (Bobby Hull) met the Blackhawks present and future (Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Adam Burish) at Wrigley Field, the site of the NHL Winter Classic 2009." title="Blackhawks past (Bobby Hull) met the Blackhawks present and future (Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Adam Burish) at Wrigley Field, the site of the NHL Winter Classic 2009." class="image image-_original " width="525" height="350" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">Blackhawks past (Bobby Hull) met the Blackhawks present and future (Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Adam Burish) at Wrigley Field, the site of the NHL Winter Classic 2009.</span></span></strong></p>
<p>Kane did his part in recruiting Campbell, a long-time Sabres blueliner.</p>
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<h2>&ldquo;He wants the puck in those big-game situations, and it&rsquo;s pretty cool to see.&rdquo;</h2>
<h5>Dale Tallon, <br />GM of the Chicago Blackhawks <br /></h5>
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<p>&ldquo;I ran into him in London [Ontario] over the summer and told him, &lsquo;We&rsquo;d love to have you in Chicago,&rsquo; &rdquo; Kane said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s such a good player, especially for our team and our needs. We struggled on the power play.<br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;I told him I think I should get three percent of his contract for being his agent.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;<br />Kane is already envisioning the magic they might work on the power-play rush.<br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;I like to carry the puck in and curl back and hit the defenseman late,&rdquo; Kane said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;ll be able to make some plays, I&rsquo;m sure, either going backdoor or shooting off the drop pass.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;<br />The Blackhawks already were on the rise with Kane, fellow rookie star Jonathan Toews, defensemen Brent Seabrook (23) and wingers Martin Havlat (27) and Patrick Sharp (26). Then came the free-agent splash.<br />&nbsp;<br />Finally, hockey matters again in Chicago. (See related Story on Page 35.)<br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;There are a lot of expectations for our team, and that&rsquo;s exciting,&rdquo; Kane said. &ldquo;We went from having 7,000, 8,000, 9,000 fans at games at the beginning of last year to selling out games this year already.<br />&nbsp;<br /><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0810-kane-top-view.img_assist_custom-300x417.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-img_assist_custom-300x417 " width="300" height="417" /></span>&ldquo;We want to be a playoff contender and a Cup contender. Pretty much our core players are under 30.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;<br />From the bench, coach Denis Savard can perhaps see a little of himself in Kane. Oh, there&rsquo;s no spin-o-rama in Kane&rsquo;s repertoire, but there are similarities to be sure.</p>
<p>&ldquo;They both have incredible hands,&rdquo; Tallon said. &ldquo; &lsquo;Savvy&rsquo; was maybe a little better one-on-one, but as far as being able to distribute the puck and see the ice, it&rsquo;s easy to make comparisons.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;<br />What Kane wants to clone from Savard is the excitement of the Windy City on a hockey night in the 1980s. Night after night those Blackhawks &ndash; with Savard, Steve Larmer, Al Secord, Doug Wilson, Tony Esposito and Curt Fraser &ndash; would have fans in a frenzy at old Chicago Stadium.<br />&nbsp;<br />There was no better scene in hockey in the early 1980s than when the Blackhawks clashed in the playoffs year after year with the Minnesota North Stars, who featured Dino Ciccarelli, Bobby Smith, Craig Hartsburg and Al MacAdam.<br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;That&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re trying to do now,&rdquo; Kane said. &ldquo;To be part of an Original Six team is so exciting, and we want to make the United Center even better than old Chicago Stadium was when it got rockin&rsquo; and rollin&rsquo;.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;<br />Kane would love for that rivalry to be with the Detroit Red Wings. Last season, when the young Blackhawks played the Cup-champs-to-be Red Wings, Kane was nearly always at his best.<br />&nbsp;<br />In the eight-game regular-season series against the Wings, Kane scored three goals and assisted on five. He was even in plus/minus. In the final week of the season, he scored two goals and two assists in two games against Detroit.</p>
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<h2>&ldquo;We want to make the United Center even better than old Chicago Stadium was when it got rockin&rsquo; and rollin&rsquo;.&rdquo; <br /></h2>
<h5>Patrick Kane</h5>
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<p>&ldquo;We were always out against [Nicklas] Lidstrom and his D-partner,&rdquo; Kane said, &ldquo;and [Pavel] Datsyuk and [Henrik] Zetterberg. That&rsquo;s the Norris Trophy winner, the Selke winner and a Selke finalist.<br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;I figure if I can average a point a game against them, I should be able to do it against anybody.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;<br />The ready-for-the-challenge attitude is a trait Tallon saw in Kane when he was making the decision on who to select with the first overall pick in 2007.<br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;He&rsquo;s not afraid of anything,&rdquo; Tallon said. &ldquo;He goes into tall trees to get the puck. Somehow he can leverage himself next to those big guys and still get the puck.<br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;He wants the puck in those big-game situations, and it&rsquo;s pretty cool to see.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;<br />Having Havlat healthy will make Kane more dangerous. Since joining the Blackhawks in a five-player trade in the summer of 2006, the multi-talented left-winger has single-handedly provided job security for the training staff and team orthopedist. Havlat played only 91 of a possible 164 games the last two seasons because of various injuries, and in February underwent shoulder surgery.<br />&nbsp;<br />Tallon, however, says Havlat should be 100 percent by opening night.<br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;A healthy Marty Havlat can really help Patrick,&rdquo; Tallon said. &ldquo;Then it&rsquo;s a &lsquo;Pick your poison.&rsquo; Who do you want to key on if you&rsquo;re the other team.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;<br />If it&rsquo;s Kane who must deal with a checking line, he&rsquo;s ready.<br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;Hockey&rsquo;s been my life since I was 7 years old,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;When people say, </p>
<p>&lsquo;You have the best life,&rsquo; I agree. I think it&rsquo;s a privilege to play hockey.&rdquo;</p>
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<a href="/issue/2008-10">2008-10</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2008-10/second-city-star#commentsChicago BlackhawksNTDPPatrick KaneFeatureFri, 17 Jul 2009 16:02:32 +0000925 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comByfuglien Beats The Odds To Earn NHL Spothttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2009-04/byfuglien-beats-odds-earn-nhl-spot
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<a href="/node/18">Tom Ferda</a> </div>
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<p class="usah_text"><span class="inline inline-left"><img src="http://ushockeymagazine.org/sites/default/files/images/am-star-Dustin-Byfuglien-Action-2.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="525" height="363" /></span></p>
<p class="usah_text">In a day of banged-up economies, collapsing housing markets and difficult daily challenges, if you are searching for an inspirational story, look no further than the Chicago Blackhawks forward Dustin Byfuglien.</p>
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<h3 class="feature_headline_smaller">DUSTIN BYFUGLIEN<br /></h3>
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<p class="textlinkblack"><strong>FORWARD</strong><br /><strong>Shoots: </strong>Right<br /><strong>Hometown:</strong> Minneapolis, Minn.<br /><strong>Height:</strong> 6-foot-3<br /><strong>Weight:</strong> 246 pounds<br /><strong>Birth Date:</strong> March 27, 1985<br /><strong>NHL Draft: </strong>Selected in the 8th round (245th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks.</p>
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<p class="usah_text">Since being chosen in the late rounds of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Blackhawks, the 23-year-old Minneapolis native has beaten the odds and evolved from NHL prospect to becoming a permanent fixture on a revitalized Blackhawks&rsquo; roster.</p>
<p class="usah_text">While the &rsquo;Hawks dress the youngest roster in the NHL and are building a winner around young superstars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, Byfuglien is becoming a vital piece of the puzzle.</p>
<p class="usah_text">Looking to use Byfuglien&rsquo;s hulking 6-foot-3 frame to create traffic in front of the net, Chicago moved the rugged defenseman to forward, and the move has paid huge dividends. Byfuglien responded with a breakout season in 2007-08 tallying 19 goals and 17 assists in just 67 games, finishing fifth on the team in scoring. That same season, he recorded his first career hat trick in a span of just 5:39 against Phoenix on Nov. 30.</p>
<p class="usah_text">&ldquo;At first I didn&rsquo;t like the move because I didn&rsquo;t have experience playing forward. I had no choice but to adapt so I did,&rdquo; said Byfuglien. &ldquo;Playing with good players like we have, I adapted quickly and now I&rsquo;m pretty much there to stay.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="usah_text">When asked about Byfuglien, Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville had nothing but praise for his young winger.</p>
<p class="usah_text">&ldquo;Buffs is one of those guys who no matter what line he&rsquo;s on he gives us a contribution,&rdquo; said Quenneville. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got NHL size and ability. He&rsquo;s a physical presence. We utilize his size around the net, and he&rsquo;s got a tremendous shot. Buffs gives us versatility; we have played him on defense as well as forward and use him on the power play.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="usah_text">The journey to the NHL was full of challenges for Byfuglien. He grew up in a single-parent family, living in a trailer behind his grandmother&rsquo;s house. While his mother supported the family working in a blue-collar job at a local plant, Dustin spent time with his cousins, skating on the two local outdoor rinks in the neighborhood after getting his first pair of skates when he was about 4 years old.</p>
<p class="usah_text">With American players now commonly going high in the draft, Byfuglien attributes that to the quality of today&rsquo;s hockey programs.</p>
<p class="usah_text">&ldquo;The U.S. is coming around in their programs for young kids,&rdquo; said Byfuglien. &ldquo;When I was growing up, there were some players from the U.S. getting drafted but not like now. Before, if someone [from the U.S.] got drafted high it was really talked about. Now it&rsquo;s more common. Many of the top players and top picks are coming from here and that&rsquo;s great for the kids who want to try to make it.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="usah_text">In a competitive league like the NHL, it is a difficult challenge even for the top picks to develop and make an NHL roster. Despite being a late round pick, Byfuglien was determined to make it.</p>
<p class="usah_text">After his first call-up from the AHL Norfolk Admirals, Byfuglien stepped onto an NHL sheet of ice for the first time on March 1, 2006 and responded by netting his first NHL goal, the game-winner in a 3-0 win over Nashville. He still refers to that game as his most memorable hockey moment.<br /> When asked about mentors and childhood idols, Dustin is quick to credit his family for guiding him to where he is now.</p>
<p class="usah_text">&ldquo;Neal Broten was the hometown hero when I was growing up, but I looked up to my cousin Derrick more than I did any of the NHL players at the time,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<p class="usah_text">&ldquo;My grandfather had a lot to do with my development, too. He always stayed close to me, making sure I was the best player I could possibly be.&rdquo;</p>
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<p class="usah_text"><em>Getty Images Photos</em></p>
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<a href="/issue/2009-04">2009-04</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2009-04/byfuglien-beats-odds-earn-nhl-spot#commentsChicago BlackhawksDustin ByfuglienNext American StarWed, 24 Jun 2009 17:00:01 +0000210 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.com